of course, I have seen one. In fact many, starting about 40 years ago.

who the hell -- besides jeffies -- would claim that RDF make one totally free
from crashing into granite ledges in Maine in a fog, day after day after day?

All because RDF "can tell you where you are within 2*".

weigh to go, jeffies.


jeffie, no RDF on any sailboat gave "accuracy" to withing 5*, let alone 2*.
Your statement just shows you have no idea how RDF works.

jaxie, you've never seen one, let alone used one.


wondering if you've passed Portland or Monhegan the RDF
is very handy.

that is "5 degrees" by your estimation above? yeah, un huh.

Don't go to Maine, jaxie, it would be too scary for you.


millions of people sailed before the GPS was invented.

No kidding?

Nope. Millions.


wanna take a guess how many of those who wandered around in a fog with
granite
ledges in the water made port? For your information, approximated 25% of
ALL
commercial shipping vessels made in the last 50 years of sail powered
shipping
sunk before the boats were retired. one in four. That is what fog and
granite
is for, to sink ships. ask around with the old timers and see what they
did
say 40 years ago.

They used RDF for approaches. I think you're have a little problem with
dates,
jaxie. RDF was not used (certainly not commonly) in the "last 50 years of
sail
powered shipping." For instance, the last coffee-carrying sailing ship
docked
in New York in 1914. The first radiobeacons were not set up until the '20's.
The automated lighthouse radiobeacons soon followed. It was because the US
adopted radiobeacons that it had one of the best safety records in the middle
of
the last century.


btw, well into the 1970's and even into the 1980's a cheap tranistor radio
from
Radio Schack was considered an acceptable alternative to the commercially
available RDF units for recreational sailboats. Why a cheap radio from
Radio
Schack? Because the cheap radio had a more directional antenna than the
better
quality radios. I believe Hal Roth used a Radio Schack radio into the
1970's
and carried it as back up even later.

Good for him. What's your point? You seem to be agreeing that it is useful.
But you're wrong that the pocket radios were preferable, that's just a myth.
There were certainly people saying "I can do just as well with my pocket
radio"
but have used both, I can tell you it isn't true.


Getting "within 20 seconds of turning back" is
NOT something that happens to an experienced mariner in this situation.

really? you mean that career merchant marine was inexperienced?

The fact that he took you as a crew is proof enough for anyone here that he
was
a desperate loser!

I kinda think
of him as a bit more seaman than some clown plowing through the granite
ledges
of Maine listening to rock music radio stations (and a couple of dit dah
dah
dit dah stations) to determine where he was.

Then why was he lost with 3 GPS's and a Loran on board? It sure seems like I
had a better idea of where I was.

You keep trying to prove to us that you're a great mariner because you were
near
someone else that you think was great. But your stories just show that you
had
no idea what was going on. You were scared ****less thinking you were about
to
hit "rocks" that don't exist.

If you were within "20 seconds of turning back" it means you thought you were
within a few hundred yards of disaster. But the charts are pretty clear: as
long as you had 20 fathoms of water you weren't within 10 miles of a hazard.
Even at 10 fathoms, you'd stay miles from the shoals. You weren't "threading
the needle" in some DownEast tickle, you were rounding Diamond Shoals Light -
15
miles offshore, 8 miles from the shoals, with an 18 mile light. You had 3
GPS's, a Loran, and I assume a depth sounder. If you had the least doubt as
to
where you were, you're a damn fool! If you were trying to "cut the corner"
inside of the light you're a damn fool. If you were about to "turn back"
you're
a damn fool. So tell us, jaxie, what kind of fool are you?


btw, that paper sextant you said you carried and used in the fog to tell
where
you were, didn't the moisture in the fog cause the paper to fall apart?


Its stayed tucked away for 25 years now, I've only used it a few times.

Ever heard of the Uss Turtle? one of the first underwater warships? Used in
the Revolutionary war
"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
sail powered commercial shipping was kaput long before any u-boats got on
this
side of the atlantic.

For your information, approximated 25% of ALL
commercial shipping vessels made in the last 50 years of sail powered
shipping
sunk before the boats were retired. one in four.

it was those darn U-boats hiding in LIS.

SV

was it refered to -- in history -- as a "U-Boat"? if so, did it reduce sail
powered to commercial vessels to nothingness? If not, when was sail powered
commercial shipping kaput relative to U-Boats?



sail powered commercial shipping was kaput long before any u-boats got on
this
side of the atlantic.

For your information, approximated 25% of ALL
commercial shipping vessels made in the last 50 years of sail powered
shipping
sunk before the boats were retired. one in four.

it was those darn U-boats hiding in LIS.

SV

Perhaps it was not referred to as a U-boat, but it seems to me someone here
claimes that U-boat is a generic reference to submarines, you don't
happen to recall who that was do you?
http://www.bowfin.org/website/educat...rtle/article/a
rticle.htm Check out this page and then we will discuss weather there were
submarines as warships during the age of sail.
"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
was it refered to -- in history -- as a "U-Boat"? if so, did it reduce
sail
powered to commercial vessels to nothingness? If not, when was sail
powered
commercial shipping kaput relative to U-Boats?



sail powered commercial shipping was kaput long before any u-boats got
on
this
side of the atlantic.

For your information, approximated 25% of ALL
commercial shipping vessels made in the last 50 years of sail
powered
shipping
sunk before the boats were retired. one in four.

it was those darn U-boats hiding in LIS.

SV

only in winds above 30kts.


"JAXAshby" wrote ...
was it refered to -- in history -- as a "U-Boat"? if so, did it reduce
sail

"Jeff Morris" wrote ...

If you had the least doubt as to
where you were, you're a damn fool! If you were trying to "cut the
corner"
inside of the light you're a damn fool. If you were about to "turn back"
you're
a damn fool. So tell us, jaxie, what kind of fool are you?

a damn fool?

SV

"Scott Vernon" wrote in message
...

"JAXAshby" scrawled incoherently
For your information, approximated 25% of ALL
commercial shipping vessels made in the last 50 years of sail powered
shipping
sunk before the boats were retired. one in four.

it was those darn U-boats hiding in LIS.

SV

At least a dozen or so.
John Cairns

"Scott Vernon" wrote in message
...

"JAXAshby" keruffled thusly
For your information, approximated 25% of ALL
commercial shipping vessels made in the last 50 years of sail powered
shipping
sunk before the boats were retired. one in four.

it was those darn U-boats hiding in LIS.

SV

Four or five, no doubt.
John Cairns

"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
of course I am "aware"

RDF tells you where -- and ONLY where -- a particular signal came from.

Sorry jax, I guess you don't know how it works. The chart or book tells you
where it comes from. The RDF tells you where that is relative to a boat. Its
called an "LOP." They'll tell you about it in the Power Squadron course

"JAXAshby" wrote:

All because RDF "can tell you where you are within 2*".


I see you're quoting Bowditch now. I didn't think you knew what that was.